[Problem] To provide a small and lightweight optical unit that drives a movable part forward and backward using a voice coil motor, and to provide an endoscope.[Solution] An optical unit 1 comprises: a tubular fixed part 2 which holds at least either a fixed lens group Gf on the object-side or a fixed lens group Gb on the image-side, and at least a part of which has a prescribed axis C as the center； a tubular movable part 3 provided radially inside the fixed part 2, having the axis C as the center, and holding a movable lens group Gv between the fixed lens group Gf on the object-side and the fixed lens group Gb on the image-side； and a voice coil motor 10 capable of moving the movable part 3 relative to the fixed part 2 along the axis C using a coil 11 disposed on the fixed part 2, and a magnet 12 disposed on the movable part 3 and magnetically polarized along a direction orthogonal to the axis C. The movable part 3 has a movable-side sliding surface allowing the movable part 3 to slide along the inner peripheral surface of the fixed part 2. The length L1 of the movable-part sliding surface from the point nearest the object to the point nearest the image along the axis C of the movable part 3 is longer than the length from the emission surface of the fixed lens group Gf on the object-side held by the fixed part 2 to the incident surface of the fixed lens group Gb on the image-side held by the fixed part 2.Le problème à résoudre dans le cadre de la présente invention consiste à fournir une unité optique petite et légère qui entraîne une partie mobile vers l'avant et vers l'arrière à l'aide d'un moteur à bobine acoustique, et à fournir un endoscope. La solution consiste en une unité optique (1) qui comprend : une partie tubulaire fixe (2) qui maintient au moins soit un groupe de lentilles fixes (Gf) côté objet, soit un groupe de lentilles fixes (Gb) côté image, et dont au moins une partie comprend un axe prescrit (C) comme centre ； une partie tubulaire mobile (3) d
